


Don't you dare die

by aragonite



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drabble, F/M, propmt fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 16:03:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6862060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aragonite/pseuds/aragonite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(I apparently decided that the ending to inquisition needed more angst) A wound Inquisitor Kelandryl sustained in battle is worse than she'd orginally noticed, and things go south pretty quickly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't you dare die

**Author's Note:**

> Just another prompt fill, nothing very long but I still had fun trying something a bit different. All feedback is very welcome!

“Listen to me, don’t you dare die, do you hear me? Don’t die.”

They’d done it. Corypheus was truly dead and the breach was sealed. Kelandryl still couldn’t believe it as she looked up at Skyhold, walking through the courtyard surrounded by the cheers of the inquisition and its followers. The shouts and laughter sounded distant, and she winced as she tried to breathe in too deep a breath, remembering the nasty wound in her side. But there would be time to address that later, now that they’d won, she thought. She could still feel the adrenaline in her system, as she began to ascend the stairs to the main hall, triumphant in every step. She looked onwards, ignoring the pain, to her three advisers who stood waiting for her. Looking back and grinning to the crowds, she turned as Leiliana, Josephine and Cullen bowed at her, looking equally proud of their success. Her eyes met Cullen’s and they both smiled, as she stepped forward and hugged him, welcoming his strong embrace despite the fact they were both conscious of the massive numbers who saw them. Pulling away, she gave one last look to those who remained cheering in the courtyard, before proceeding up the steps to the main hall, advisers at her side.   
“It’s actually over” she said in disbelief, wincing as she missed a step and felt the wound at her side flare. Now that things were calming down she could feel it more, and she put her hand to it it the hope it wasn’t as bad as it was starting to feel.   
“There will be much still to do,” Leiliana pointed out, but she immediately smiled as she added, “However none of it needs to be done tonight. We must celebrate”. Others had begun entering the hall now too, and those who were already present cheered when they saw their inquisitor. Josephine had begun talking with Leiliana about planning a proper celebration, and Kelandryl had zoned out immediately. Conversation and laughter had filled the hall, and she moved forward in no particular direction, using her staff for support. She felt an hand reach out and touch her arm, and looked up to see Cullen smiling at her, but the concern evident in his eyes.  
“Are you alright?” he asked, “You’re awfully pale” he frowned as he noticed the distant look in her eyes as she yawned, before looking down to where she’d been holding her hand since she came in. Her green tinted chainmail was stained red and torn, and blood dripped from her crimson hand to the floor as he felt his heart stop.  
“I’m fine-“ she started to say before she sank to her knees, Cullen stepping forward quickly to catch her, ignoring the shrieks of the nobles standing beside them. He heard someone call for a healer, and Josephine and Leiliana appeared beside him in an instant. The shouts spread as he held Kelandryl in his arms, one hand to her wound and the other holding her to him.   
“No, not now! Not when we’re supposed to have won!” he cried, feeling panic rise up in his throat, barely registering the circle of people around them or the sudden lack of music. She was fighting to stay conscious, eyes flickering as she frowned up at him.   
“It would have been too simple” she said as she attempted a weak smile which was twisted into a grimace by the pain. Cullen could hear the dismay in his own voice as he spoke.  
“Listen to me, don’t you dare die, do you hear me? Don’t die.” A healer had arrived by this point and Leiliana placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Quickly, let’s move her up to her quarters so she can be treated properly” she said quietly but with urgency, evidently concerned for the inquisitor’s health too. When he looked back at Kelandryl her eyes were shut and breathing shallow. Cullen tried to swallow his fear as he stood up, and followed the healer up to the inquisitor’s chambers, carrying her carefully in his arms while praying to the Maker that she would be okay.

Kelandryl woke with a start, feeling as if she’d been wandering the fade so long in her sleep that she might never leave it. Immediately she registered the pain, and winced as she made the mistake of trying to sit up. Reaching towards the wound on her left, she felt her fingers brush bandages beneath her blouse, which was fresh and clean. Her room was dark and cool, a balcony door standing slightly ajar and soft embers glowing in the fireplace. Moonlight filtered through the stained glass clear and illuminating, but not overly bright. She noticed her armour lying on the couch, torn but not unrepairable, and the bloodied bandages and cloths bundled in a basket badly in need of washing. She heard soft breathing to her left, and only then did she turn to see Cullen sleeping in a chair at the side of her bed. A candle sat on the bedside table, nearly burned out completely, but still casting a warm glow on his face. She took in his face and was surprised, he almost looked as bad as she felt, his blonde curls a looked as though he’d been running his hand through them, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Smiling, she wondered how long he’d been there, and how long she’d been unconscious. It was dark, and the wound couldn’t have been that bad so it must just be early in the morning after the battle, she reasoned. She attempted to stretch her legs, and realising how stiff she felt decided to try getting out of bed, as she moved herself over to the side and manoeuvred her way around so that she sat on the edge with her feet hanging off the side. Sitting up straight was the tough part, so she lurched to her feet and felt her surroundings spin and her side scream in pain, as she grabbed the edge of the table beside her violently out of reflex, causing what must have been a bottle of pain relief to smash to the floor.

Hearing the smash of glass, Cullen jumped awake, and rubbed his eyes to try and see what was going on. When they adjusted to the dark, he looked over and saw Kelandryl standing at the other side of the bed grimacing, nearly doubled over with pain but still standing, one hand on the table beside her and the other over the wound in her side.   
“Maker’s breath, you’re alive” he said with relief, as he moved quickly over to her, and she leant into him for support.  
“You sound surprised” she replied, voice dry from lack of use since she’d collapsed. He held himself back from embracing her for now, and guided her back into bed.   
“I’m just glad you’re alright”, he sighed, and she gave him a confused look.   
“I’m not being melodramatic, there was a lot of blood, and you’ve been out for days” Cullen explained, and he saw then that she had no idea. No idea about the past two days and nights which he had spent tirelessly worrying over her and getting in the healer’s way.   
“Huh”, was all she could think to say, mind pre-occupied by the pain she felt as she moved so she was resting more comfortably on the pillows. He watched her face, still pale despite her usually warm skin and her grey eyes tired. She looked at him then, frowning but with concern, a hand reaching to push her matted hair from her face. “You haven’t been here for that whole time have you?” she asked, and he immediately felt himself blush.   
“Not the whole time,” he said pointedly, looking away as he scratched the back of his neck, “I had to leave sometimes when the healers were here and to deal with a couple of things”. He looked at her then, a cut on her lip making her smile look more pained than grateful but her eyes showed her feelings well enough.   
“Oh Cullen,” she said as she pushed herself up and he leant forwards to kiss her softly on the lips, careful of the cuts on her face. He thought it best not to mention that the sleep he’d been in before she woke him up was the closest to proper rest he’d had since before the final battle, as he sat back and yawned. “Do not tell me you’ve been sleeping in that chair too” she said accusingly, the usual mocking sparkle seeming to have returned to her eyes.  
“No! Well, yes” he admitted, sighing as he tried to stifle another yawn. Kelandryl moved over slightly and he almost thought she was going to try standing again when she gestured to the vacant space beside her. Grateful, Cullen stood and stretched before walking around to the empty side and lay down beside her, as she rested her head on his chest and wrapped an arm across his waist.   
“Everyone else has been asking after you” he said, remembering only then that other people existed in the world besides them. “They’ve been unusually nice to me too, even Varric hasn’t mocked me recently” he said bemusedly, as he felt Kelandryl chuckle quietly.  
“They really must have thought I was dying” she replied jokingly, and looking up in confusion when Cullen raised a hand to his head.  
“Oh dear”, he laughed to himself. At Kelandryl’s questioning scowl he explained, still smiling. “Now that you’re awake Josephine will set a date for a “Proper celebration”, likely meaning a ball for all the nobles to fawn over you” and despite his own hatred of such events, he had to smile and the way she rolled her eyes at the idea.  
“Please, don’t tell her I’m awake then, I’d sooner have to fight Corypheus again than have to go through another ball” she half joked. 

They carried on talking quietly for a short while, until they both fell asleep, each resting properly for the first time in days.


End file.
